Three springs ago, when John Tierney launched the girls flag football program at Pinelands Regional High School, he wasn’t quite sure what he’d gotten himself into.

“We started practicing in February and couldn’t get a gym because of COVID,” said Tierney, whose Wildcats scored a 19-6 victory over Matawan on May 11, their fifth victory in five games this season. “So we were outside, and, of course, it was freezing.